The company participated in the pitch programme at the recent Africa’s Green Economy Summit in Cape Town.
Thank you to Africa’s Green Economy Summit and its sponsors. Founded in 2022, STROOM aims to transform cargo deliveries in townships and areas with limited logistics services. To meet this need, the company developed a fleet of four specialized vehicles, which were tested in Soweto, Langa, and Kayamandi in Stellenbosch.
The trials confirmed a strong demand for delivery services in these communities and highlighted the opportunity to create jobs for youth and women. By employing local talent, STROOM not only improves access to goods but also fosters economic empowerment.
As STROOM expands its operations, it remains dedicated to addressing the logistical challenges faced by underserved areas, paving the way for a more inclusive delivery system.
It is with great excitement that we already started with the Partnership for Growth (P4G) programme. The programme is aimed at enabling green economy companies to be positioned for investment and scale in the future. And we are really looking forward to completing this journey over the next two years with P4G.
This partnership offers numerous benefits beyond financial support. It connects us to potential investors, facilitates policy development and advocacy, and enables collaboration with international and local agencies.
How important is localisation for the future of the green economy in your view?
Localisation of vehicles, in this case, cargo e-bikes, is critically important. The green economy is not just stimulated by the vehicles in operation, but also in terms of the green jobs and, in this case, technology jobs that are created by localising the manufacture of lightweight cargo electric vehicles.
In terms of just being green, sourcing the components locally, sourcing the materials, and in the case of South Africa, we’re well-resourced in terms of aluminium, and sourcing all of our tubing locally ultimately reduces the total carbon life cycle cost of an electric vehicle.
As a local manufacturer, STROOM provides comprehensive on-the-ground support for the entire lifecycle of our cargo e-bikes. This local expertise enables us to extend the life of our vehicles through maintenance, repairs, and rebuilds, even after accidents.
What is your vision for emobility on the continent, particularly regarding delivery services?
By 2050, Africa is projected to be home to 25% of the world’s population. If we fail to adopt a green economy, the continent’s CO2 emissions could more than double by 2050.
South Africa, like many other African countries, faces significant challenges, including high youth unemployment rates. Currently, over 50% of South African youth are unemployed. Additionally, women are often excluded from the logistics sector, with a driver’s license serving as a major barrier to entry.
Cargo e-bikes, which can be operated without a driver’s license, offer opportunities for young people and women to enter the logistics industry. STROOM envisions a future where hubs cargo e-bikes across South Africa and Africa provide affordable access to cargo e-bikes, empowering a new generation of delivery drivers.
Additionally, these hubs serve as community support systems. For instance, if a driver is unable to work on Monday and Tuesday due to illness, they can swap shifts with another driver, working Saturday and Sunday instead.
Each hub houses 20 to 40 e-vehicles and is strategically placed in townships, rural areas, or densely populated urban areas. Our primary focus, however, is on townships. These hubs are equipped with solar charging stations, battery swapping facilities, and a small workshop to ensure optimal vehicle performance.
So we believe that these logistical hubs can be rolled out anywhere in South Africa and Africa as we use 40-foot containers in which everything is packed and then deployed on-site as a fully functioning logistical hub.
My advice to other green entrepreneurs is to ask people what they think about your idea. However, if you ask too many times what people think, the answer will usually be that it cannot work. Consensus usually moves towards that. Big ideas and ideas that can make a change are sometimes not the norm. So with inputs received execute the idea as quickly as you can, even if it’s just a very small case study, and test your assumptions with that case study.
The pitch programme at Africa’s Green Economy Summit is very important for companies like STROOM. At the previous pitch at the beginning of 2024, we were able to meet up with Partnership for Growth and the result of that was that we now have a partnership with P4G.
We’ve also been building relationships with various stakeholders we connected with via the Green Economy Summit, which takes time. However, the Africa’s Green Economy Summit offers a unique opportunity to pitch our ideas to a diverse audience, including financiers, and other key players in the industry. It’s a valuable platform to connect with multiple stakeholders in one place.
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